Data Sufficiency

If Jim earns x dollars per hour, it will take him 4 hours to earn exactly enough money to purchase a particular jacket. If Tom earns y dollars per hour, it will take him exactly 5 hours to earn enough money to purchase the same jacket. How much does the jacket cost?

(1) Tom makes 20% less per hour than Jim does.

(2) x + y = $43.75

Can someone please explain how to approach this problem?

OA is B

paridhi wrote:If Jim earns x dollars per hour, it will take him 4 hours to earn exactly enough money to purchase a particular jacket. If Tom earns y dollars per hour, it will take him exactly 5 hours to earn enough money to purchase the same jacket. How much does the jacket cost?

(1) Tom makes 20% less per hour than Jim does.

(2) x + y = $43.75

Can someone please explain how to approach this problem?

OA is B

Assume cost of jacket is C.
4*x = C
5*j = C

x =4j/5
No mention about price till now.
So INSUFFICIENT.
x+y = 43.75
c/4+c/5=43.75
c can be calculated.
SUFFICIENT.

pick A

now i wonder why was I not able to do it. Thanks for the explanation MGMAT's explanation was so twisted in comparision to this.

paridhi wrote:

now i wonder why was I not able to do it. Thanks for the explanation MGMAT's explanation was so twisted in comparision to this.

You are welcome!!

kvcpk wrote: If Jim earns x dollars per hour, it will take him 4 hours to earn exactly enough money to purchase a particular jacket. If Tom earns y dollars per hour, it will take him exactly 5 hours to earn enough money to purchase the same jacket. How much does the jacket cost?

(1) Tom makes 20% less per hour than Jim does.

(2) x + y = $43.75

Can someone please explain how to approach this problem?

OA is B

Assume cost of jacket is C.
4*x = C
5*j = C

x =4j/5
No mention about price till now.
So INSUFFICIENT.
x+y = 43.75
c/4+c/5=43.75
c can be calculated.
SUFFICIENT.

pick A[/quote]

u mean pick B!

Preet

singhpreet1 wrote:

kvcpk wrote: If Jim earns x dollars per hour, it will take him 4 hours to earn exactly enough money to purchase a particular jacket. If Tom earns y dollars per hour, it will take him exactly 5 hours to earn enough money to purchase the same jacket. How much does the jacket cost?

(1) Tom makes 20% less per hour than Jim does.

(2) x + y = $43.75

Can someone please explain how to approach this problem?

OA is B

Assume cost of jacket is C.
4*x = C
5*j = C

x =4j/5
No mention about price till now.
So INSUFFICIENT.
x+y = 43.75
c/4+c/5=43.75
c can be calculated.
SUFFICIENT.

pick A

u mean pick B!

Preet[/quote]

ya.. B. that was a typo

paridhi wrote:If Jim earns x dollars per hour, it will take him 4 hours to earn exactly enough money to purchase a particular jacket. If Tom earns y dollars per hour, it will take him exactly 5 hours to earn enough money to purchase the same jacket. How much does the jacket cost?

(1) Tom makes 20% less per hour than Jim does.

(2) x + y = $43.75

Can someone please explain how to approach this problem?

OA is B

what if i assume the jacket costs me $200. so Jim earns $50 an hour, while Tom earns $40 an hour, then A would be sufficient to answer the question as well, right??

i look forward to your inputs.
Preet

singhpreet1 wrote: what if i assume the jacket costs me $200. so Jim earns $50 an hour, while Tom earns $40 an hour, then A would be sufficient to answer the question as well, right??

i look forward to your inputs.
Preet

A says that Tom makes 20% less per hour than Jim does.
Using only this information, will you be able to find the cost?? Using only percentages/ratios actual values can never be found.

As you say, when the cost of jacket is 200, we get Jim-50 and Tom-40. there is 20% difference.
Now take jacket cost to be 20, then Jim-5, Tom-4, Again difference is 20% only.

But we are getting 2 different costs of 200, 20 for jacket. Hence it is INSUFFICIENT.

Hope this helps!!

kvcpk wrote:

singhpreet1 wrote: what if i assume the jacket costs me $200. so Jim earns $50 an hour, while Tom earns $40 an hour, then A would be sufficient to answer the question as well, right??

i look forward to your inputs.
Preet

A says that Tom makes 20% less per hour than Jim does.
Using only this information, will you be able to find the cost?? Using only percentages/ratios actual values can never be found.

As you say, when the cost of jacket is 200, we get Jim-50 and Tom-40. there is 20% difference.
Now take jacket cost to be 20, then Jim-5, Tom-4, Again difference is 20% only.

But we are getting 2 different costs of 200, 20 for jacket. Hence it is INSUFFICIENT.

Hope this helps!!

need to be more attentive!! i think i need a break! thanks again.

Preet

given in the question

jim = 4x

tom=5y

4x=5y
1

.tom makes 20 % less per hour than jim does
y=x-0.2x=0.8x

4x-5y=0
and y-0.8x=0

we can not solve hence not sufficeint

2. x+y=$43.75

4x-5y=0

soving for x we can get the price of jacket

hence sufficient

So answer is B